Retinoids are a group of ingredients derived from vitamin A (aka retinoic acid). Retinol is the most common retinoid used in skincare, however as time passes and legislation changes, we are seeing new generation retinoids such as retinal being increasingly used.

While there are a variety of skincare myths that often circulate, retinoids draw particular attention. With this in mind, we asked board-certified dermatologist, Ranella Hirsch, to bust the most common myths around the gold-standard ingredient.

Loved by dermatologists and aestheticians alike, retinoids (aka vitamin A) are best known for their ability to significantly improve the appearance of the skin, particularly texture, wrinkles, breakouts and sun damage. Whilst the results can be impressive, many are hesitant to add a retinoid to their routine as they can be irritating ― especially when used incorrectly. Follow our advice to use your retinoid like a pro. Before you start Address any sensitivity. Before adding any new skincare product into your routine, make sure your skin isn’t irritated or sensitised. If it is, take care of any sensitivity first. Start low. First-time users should begin with a low-strength/gentle formula and build up over time. Generally, once you’ve used up your current strength, you will be ready to move up a level, but always listen to your skin. Slow and steady. It’s important to add your retinoid product into your routine slowly. Start off using it every third day before increasing to more regularly once your skin has acclimatised (unless the brand states otherwise). How often you use it will also depend on your skin’s tolerance, but as a general rule of thumb, you can use this guide: 2 times a week if you are a beginner or in your 20s, 3 times a week in your 30s and 4 times a week if you are over 40. Research has suggested that there is no additional benefit to using a retinoid more than 3-4 times a week1. So, in essence, every other day is a happy medium.  Go easy on the actives. When you first start using retinoids, we suggest going easy on the actives, particularly exfoliating acids (hydrating products are fine). Once you know your skin is tolerating it well, you can then re-introduce them on ‘non-retinoid days’ or in the mornings.  Here are some of our favourites for beginners: Medik8 Crystal Retinal 3 Pestle & Mortar Superstar Retinoid Oil Skin Rocks Retinoid 1  How to use  Brands will always provide you with instructions on the product packaging but for further guidance, follow our top tips: Retinoids come first. Apply after cleansing and before the rest of your routine. For over-the-counter retinoids, it is optional to wait 20-30 minutes before applying anything else. Brands have traditionally advised applying on dry skin but we know that dampening the skin first (with a hydrating toner, mist or essence) can help with penetration. We advise against this if you have very sensitive skin. For prescription-strength formulas such as tretinoin, always follow the guidance provided by your doctor.   Protect your skin. Use at night and always make sure to apply SPF 30 or above during the day. Some newer brands have formulas that can be used in the morning but if in doubt, please use them in the evening. More is not more. Apply a pea-sized amount (you can use slightly more for most OTC formulas) and distribute evenly across the face. With stronger formulas such as tretinoin, avoid the direct eye area (unless it’s a targeted eye cream), neck, around the nostrils and the corners of the mouth, as these areas are prone to irritation. Your skin may react initially. Dryness, irritation, redness and flaking are all normal reactions when you first start using retinoids, particularly stronger formulas. During this stage, stick to a hydrating and nourishing routine until your skin builds tolerance. You’ll know you’ve overdone it if your skin stings when applying a simple moisturiser or feels like it’s burning/is sore. In this scenario, stop usage, go back to basics and give your skin time to recover before reintroducing slowly. The buffering technique will be helpful here. The buffering technique. Whilst sophisticated formulas often contain nourishing ingredients; some retinoid products can be quite drying/irritating. To combat this, you can buffer its effects by applying a layer of moisturiser under your serum. This won’t stop your retinoid from working; it’ll just penetrate slower and mitigate any potential irritation or dryness. Be patient. Retinoids are the gold standard in skincare for a reason - they work. However, consistency is key. While you will likely see some benefit after 4-6 weeks of use, full results can take up to 6 months. It’s worth the wait ― trust us!  Experienced retinoid user? Check out our top picks: Paulas Choice 1% Retinol Treatment Skin Rocks Retinoid 2  Sunday Riley A +  Shop our Retinoids here.   Words by Katie - Team Skin Rocks Qualifications - BTEC, Beauty Therapy Applied Sciences   References 1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0190962297801296

Hydroxypinacolone retinoate, or HPR, is a vitamin A derivative – a type of retinoid. It is also commonly referred to by its trade name, Granactive Retinoid, which has a slightly different meaning (more on this later). Before we deep-dive into this ingredient, let’s remind ourselves about retinoids and what they are.  What is a retinoid?  Vitamin A is retinoic acid.  A retinoid is a vitamin A derivative. Some common examples of retinoids in skincare are retinol, retinal and retinyl palmitate. Retinoids have several skin benefits such as reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, reducing pigmentation and improving skin texture (for more on this, see our vitamin A Think Science ingredient glossary).  What is retinoic acid?  Retinoic acid is the active form of vitamin A. It is bioavailable to the skin (aka, it’s the form that your skin actually uses). So, when you apply any vitamin A derivative to your skin, it will need to convert to retinoic acid to have the same effect. You can read more about this in our ‘Vitamin A Stages of Conversion’ article, but the bottom line is that each conversion step needed will weaken the product - the fewer the conversion steps, the better. For context, retinol esters (such as retinyl palmitate) require a minimum of three conversions to reach the active form. Retinol requires two and retinaldehyde (retinal) requires just one step.  So, what is HPR?  HPR is an ester form of retinoic acid. It is unlike retinol esters, which require a minimum of three conversion steps to reach the active form; due to its close relation to retinoic acid (it is a retinoic acid ester), HPR does not need to go through the same steps of conversion as other retinoids do – it is already bioavailable to the skin as it is.  How does HPR compare to other retinoids?   If we had to rank HPR with other retinoids, in terms of efficacy, HPR sits at around the same level as retinal (i.e., more effective than retinol, less than retinoic acid), yet in terms of irritation, it sits around the same level as retinol esters (i.e., least irritating). Because of its ester structure, HPR is oil-based and is, therefore, gentler on the skin than retinoic acid. HPR has a low potential for irritation and is suitable for sensitive skin. Research has shown that HPR induced significantly less skin irritation than the same concentration as retinol, whilst still providing the same benefits to the skin. So, you can see why HPR is becoming more popular.  How is HPR different to Granactive Retinoid?  Granactive Retinoid is the trade name for HPR (think Nurofen vs ibuprofen). Trade names in cosmetics are used to describe blends of ingredients from specific suppliers. This is where we should talk a little about blend vs active ingredients.  Blend vs active ingredients The simplest way to put it is that your active ingredient is mixed with another ingredient/other ingredients to make a blend. Think of dissolving a Berocca in a glass of water – imagine the Berocca is your active ingredient and your water is your solvent. Once fully dissolved, this is the form we consume – this is your blend.   So, Granactive Retinoid is the trade name for a blend of HPR (your active ingredient) plus solvent (in this case, just one solvent called dimethyl isosorbide). The solvent in this instance is added to enhance the delivery of HPR into the skin. Granactive Retinoid contains 10% HPR – the other 90% is your solvent. So, if your product is ‘2% Granactive Retinoid’, what this means is that it contains 0.2% of the active ingredient, HPR. Do be wary of this, as this labelling terminology can be confusing for consumers.   HPR-containing products we recommend:  Zelens Power A  The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion Skin Rocks Retinoid 1 Skin Rocks Retinoid 2  Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum    Words by Ceyda Faik-Yildirim MSci (Chemistry) – Team Skin Rocks   

Prescription* strength vitamin A is retinoic acid (also known as Tretinoin/Retin-A). This is the star of the show in terms of skin ‘care’. It has a long list of conditions/signs of ageing/skin problems/disorders that it is proven capable of either fixing entirely or massively helping. Originally (and still) used to treat acne, it quickly became obvious that there was such more to this wonder ingredient. Retinoic acid is bioavailable to the skin. The difference between retinoic acid (Tretinoin/Retin-A) and retinol/retinaldehyde/retinol esters is that they need to be converted into retinoic acid by your skin at a cellular level in order to have the same effect. Each one takes one further stage to convert, as per the table below, and each conversion weakens the strength/effect of the product, hence why a 1% retinol is still not as effective as a 0.025% retinoic acid but may prove more irritating: retinoic acid/tretinoin/all-trans-retinoic acid (prescription only in the UK)0.1%0.05%0.025%                                ^ retinaldehyde and hydroxypinacolone retinoate (granactive) (retinaldehyde – one conversion – acts quickly, just not as quickly as the above)(hydroxypinacolone retinoate is a retinoic acid ester – so it’s directly related to the Boss, but it’s not a direct descendant, more a cousin. Sometimes used in higher %s because it’s an ester and gentle)(Given the choice, I would still pick retinaldehyde over HPR.)   ^^ retinol(two conversions – still works, takes a little longer to get you there)1%0.5%0.3%   ^^^ Retinol esters including :retinol propionateretinyl palmitate(three conversions minimum – these all differ but there is evidence showing that palmitate is the weaker of the family, more of which in individual reviews)There are other derivatives such as retinyl acetate and retinyl linoleate, but they are not as prevalent.   Added to the above are adapalene – trade name Differin, and tazorac, trade name Tazarotene. Differin, now OTC in the USA, is mainly used in the case of acne, but has its own proven benefits on signs of ageing on the skin and so is an easy pick if you are state-side and looking for something affordable, easy to access and try, that won’t break the bank or your skin. It’s also safe for pregnancy and not a problem in the sun. I recommend Differin to anyone that isn’t contraindicated. It’s a no brainer. Tazarotene is mainly prescribed for psoriasis and acne and is prescription only for a reason. It’s irritating and isn’t really used for cosmetic benefits, so if you are on that, keep talking to your doctor, I’m leaving it alone for the sake of ‘cosmetic’ reviews. That’s it. The process is akin to coffee:  double espresso ^espresso ^^cappuccino ^^^latte   Shop our Retinoids. *It is possible to buy tretinoin over the counter in mainland Europe with no prescription needed. When I am talking about prescriptions I am referring to the UK.  Do not forget your SPF. Avoid if pregnant, just for your own peace of mind. Retinoids are fine with breastfeeding** **See video here with Dr Emma Wedgeworth.

Retinal, also known as retinaldehyde, is a type of retinoid. Retinoids are vitamin A derivatives – some common examples are retinal, retinol and retinyl retinoate.  Retinoids are widely known as the gold standard for reversing the signs of ageing such as fine lines and wrinkles. They can also reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation and help to normalise skin function, reducing excess oil production and unclogging pores – making them beneficial for acne-prone skin.

Widely considered as the gold standard in skincare, retinoids, such as retinol, are derivatives of vitamin A – a key nutrient needed in order for our skin cells to function properly.